Missing
by 0074
Summary: One for H/R fans. This is set immediately post 7.8 with the team trying to find Harry, and is actually the first ever fic I started writing. Plenty more to come already written including a 'special' H/R scene so please let me know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

There were four of them gathered in the briefing room. Malcolm was seated on one side of the table, Jo on the other. Lucas was standing and had propped himself against the wall, arms folded, while Ros was prowling the length of the room.

Harry was still missing, and no demands had been received, so the team felt very much in the dark. They were discussing who might have wanted to take him, and in doing so were trawling through the past. Recollecting Yalta had made Ros feel somewhat uncomfortable, though the team had obligingly omitted to mention her role when recounting the story to Lucas.

Lucas was more in the dark than any of them, given his fairly recent return. He soon heard about Tessa's betrayal, Angela's infiltration of the grid, and the plot to eliminate the whole team with a car bomb.

Jo reminded them about the Cotterdam incident and explained for Lucas' benefit, "A couple of years ago, Harry was arrested and accused of covering up the fake deaths of seven terrorists. Someone made it look like he was a mystery man, codenamed Fox, at a top secret meeting. But someone else took the fall for him. Chose to take the fall and disappeared. We never found out who Fox really was, if they even existed."

None of them needed reminding about the most recent threat. It was only days since Connie had murdered Ben. Her betrayal was the worst of all, and they didn't know if anyone else was connected.

Ros suddenly sprung into action, and headed towards the door, "Alright. Jo, I want you to go back over every inch of CCTV footage and follow Harry from the moment he left the grid. There's got to be something we missed.

"Malcolm, we need to know what Connie was up to, especially over the last few days. I've got a nasty feeling that there's someone else we need to to be looking for.

"Lucas, you get over to Harry's house and see what you can find. I'm going to see if there's anything in his office that can point us in the right direction."

*****

Harry's office wasn't much help, save for the bottle of whiskey which Ros helped herself to, but Lucas' trip to Harry's house was surprisingly revealing.

Carefully letting himself into the house, Lucas realised how little he really knew about his boss. The bookshelves were filled with a diverse collection of reading material: Shakespeare, Dickens, and somewhat surprisingly even some John Le Carre and a Jane Austen novel. The contrasting musical styles of Nina Simone and Led Zeppelin lay next to the stereo, worn covers signaling much handling over the years. There was also a piano, and walls filled with tasteful artwork.

As he entered the small, tidy kitchen, a scratching noise from the laundry caught his attention. He slowly opened the door, and Harry's dog Scarlet peered around it cautiously. Lucas chuckled and squatted down to pat her, reading the name tag on her collar and noticing a pair of cats curled up asleep on a pile of sheets. He looked in the almost empty refrigerator for something for the animals to eat. Scarlet obviously wasn't meant to be a guard dog!

It was in the office upstairs that he spent the most time, even though there was very little to see. Harry might have taken files home to read sometimes, but he would never have left them there. The files went straight back to the office when he did. And he was far too experienced to leave his computer openly on offer.

There were missed calls on the phone, mostly from the grid over the last few hours, but no calls or messages from anyone else.

The desk had two drawers, and locked in the bottom one was a small box and an envelope. The box contained photos that were obviously of his children and some letters, but the envelope was filled with postcards.

Some of the postcards seemed innocent enough: _I'm doing fine. Wish you could see this place, it's beautiful. _Others were clearly asking for Harry's help: _I wish I could come home. Is there any hope?_

They were postmarked from all over Europe, and a few from further afield. All written by the one person - no names, just a simple: _R xx_.

Lucas put the postcards back in the envelope, and left the house with them, cautiously watching out for nosy neighbours and counter surveillance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to the enthusiastic response so far, I decided to upload two new chapters today. Please keep the comments coming.**

Jo caught Ros' attention as she approached her desk, "I've been able to track Harry entering the FSB station, but then nothing." She brought up some CCTV footage on her screen, "There's a car that leaves their underground car park about an hour after the bomb went off, but that's it. Surprisingly quiet really."

"No other traffic in or out?" Ros asked, and Jo shook her head.

"That can't be right. We need to find out where that car went. The windows are too dark to tell who was inside, and Harry might have been one of the passengers, willing or otherwise."

They kept tracing the car via the CCTV and were soon joined by Malcolm who had so far had no luck with Connie's workstation. Losing the car on CCTV, they switched to satellite and followed it to an airfield where it had stopped.

"I really don't like the look of this," Ros' mouth was pursed tightly in a grimace.

*****

By the time he reached the grid, Lucas' mind had been tossing ideas around and wondering what the the postcards were all about.

Ros, Jo and Malcolm were all back in the briefing room when he broached the subject, "So, our discussion before, about the faked deaths, what happened to the fall guy?"

Malcolm opened his mouth to respond, casting a hesitant sideways glance at the others, "It was a fall woman actually. Ruth Evershed, Senior Intelligence Analyst. She and Harry were ... close."

"How close?" Lucas asked, knowing that he was right, now that he'd heard her name.

Jo smirked a little from across the table, but quickly straightened her face, "We all thought there was something between them, but they were very discreet."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" said Ros glaring at Jo, "Ruth might have had a thing for Harry but that's all there was to it. She was a know-it-all pain in the back side, but she was damn good at her job and she wasn't stupid enough to compromise that. Neither was Harry."

"Actually," Malcolm looked at each of them as though asking if he could continue what he had been saying, "Ruth was the best. And I for one think it was more than just, a thing, though I don't believe anything ever happened between them.

"Harry tried to save her from being framed for murder, but wasn't left with any choice when Ruth wouldn't let him to make that sacrifice. She made other plans with Adam and Zaf. And contrary to what most people think, she didn't drown. She, er ... disappeared."

None of them really looked surprised, and Lucas was curious for more details, "Really? So she was, ah, relocated?"

"Yes, but don't ask me where, because I really don't know."

"Well, I've got something that might help," said Lucas, producing the envelope and emptying the postcards onto the table.

"Are these from Harry's?" Malcolm asked as they all reached for them.

"Locked in a desk drawer," Lucas could tell they had had no idea they existed.

Malcolm thought about how unlike Harry it seemed to hold onto something like this, then smiled as he started to read them, "They're from Ruth. Harry, you sly old dog."

"I think it's probably safe to assume Harry didn't reply to these, but maybe _we_ can use them to track Ruth down. If she's as good as you say she is, she might be just the person we need to help find Harry. And Malcolm ... I rather think that you're the best man for the job of finding Ruth," Lucas arched an eyebrow questioningly at him.

"Consider it done," Malcolm nodded in reply, and quickly gathered the postcards before leaving for his desk.

*****

Although he wanted to believe Ruth could help them, and that Malcolm would find her, Lucas felt they may be hoping in vain, "Malcolm? Any luck?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid. The postcards don't appear to have any hidden messages. Nothing at all."

"So what now?"

"I'm cross matching the postmarks with names on travel records, if we're lucky, we might find something or someone in common. That should narrow down the field a bit. Might take a while though."

*****

An hour later Malcolm's voice rang out across the grid, "I found her!"

They crowded round his desk, Malcolm looking extremely satisfied, "She's not far away either. Edinburgh."

"Still in Britain?" Ros was surprised.

"Working as a travel agent. Perfect cover for someone wanting to move around easily."

"Well done Malcolm," Lucas said with an appreciative nod.


	3. Chapter 3

Jo and Lucas waited until the travel agency was almost empty before they entered and moved in her direction. As she looked up, astonishment then confusion briefly showed on her face before she was able to collect herself.

Jo spoke first as they sat down on the chairs in front of her desk, "Hi. My boyfriend and I wanted to book a holiday in Spain."

"Yes, of course. When did you want to go?" Ruth knew this wasn't any ordinary booking, and was taking care not to draw unwanted attention from her colleagues.

"We've only got a very short break. I've written the dates down," Jo handed over a folded piece of paper as she looked Ruth directly in the eyes, "Do you think we could leave them with you and call back later?"

"Sure, that'd be fine. How about this evening? 5.30?"

"That would be great. Thanks. See you then." Jo smiled, and Lucas led the way silently out the door.

"I hope she understands," said Lucas.

"Oh, she does," Jo was confident, "She'll be there."

*****

Later that day Lucas and Jo were seated drinking at a table in Mackenzie's pub, when Ruth arrived and ordered a sandwich. All around them the tables were quickly filling with people who were busy eating and drinking, completely ignorant of their neighbours.

Ruth took a seat at their table and smiled nervously at Jo, "Hello. What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's Harry," Jo replied, watching Ruth's face fill with concern, "He's missing, and we're pretty sure the Russians have him, but we can't find any trace of where they've taken him."

"What do you want me to do?" Ruth asked, looking first at Jo and then Lucas. Jo realised Ruth didn't know him and made a quick introduction.

Lucas smiled at Ruth and took control of the conversation; first he gave her some of the background about the Connie saga, then explained what they wanted, "We'd like you to find out whatever you can from the Russians. They must have him, but they're just not giving anything away."

The whole situation was totally unexpected. Whatever she may have daydreamed, Ruth never really thought she would have the chance to work with MI-5 again, and certainly not under these circumstances. She looked down at the table and back up again, nodding, "Okay. Where are we going to do this?"

"Back in London," Jo grinned, "And, if anyone else can help you with the Russians, Lucas can."

"Oh?"

"Five years after Harry recruited me, I was captured while undercover in Russia," said Lucas answering her almost silent question, "I spent eight years in a Russian jail."

Ruth nodded again and stood up, "Hadn't we better get started?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all for your generous reviews which are much appreciated! Here's the next chapter, with Harry finally putting in an appearance.**

Ruth's return to Thames House was not quite how she had imagined it so many times before.

They had not talked much since leaving Edinburgh, none of them wanting to make the others feel weirder than they already did. After a helicopter dropped them off, the trip through London's streets was normal until she hid in the back of the car to enter the secure car park, and was then quickly and carefully led through back corridors to reach the grid. It was getting late, and almost everyone had left for the day.

It was the strangest feeling, entering the pods and being released into the place she had so many memories of. Malcolm was the first to reach her and put his arms around her with friendly enthusiasm.

"Ruth, it's so good to see you. Are you alright?" His hands held onto her shoulders as he waited for her to respond, wanting reassurance from her.

"It's good to see you too Malcolm. I'm well, thanks. How are you?"

"Good, good. We need your help though."

"I know. I can't believe it. How can they have taken Harry? I mean, he's ..."

Before Malcolm could answer, Ros had joined them,"Hello Ruth."

"Hello Ros."

"Nice to have you back."

"Thanks," Ruth waited expectantly, hoping Ros would offer some information about Harry, but there was none to be had.

"I know this is not at all in keeping with usual protocol, but we really do need your help. We've tracked an FSB car to an airfield, and we think that Harry was probably in it. But we haven't been able to confirm that, or where they've taken him and why."

"That's not a lot to go on is it?" Ruth raised her eyebrows, took off her coat and and headed towards _her_ desk. She faltered slightly, remembering that it hadn't been _her_ desk for a long time, but Malcolm had followed her and booted up the computer. They were soon hard at work, and it was almost like she had never been away.

*****

In a cramped and hot room, Harry was curled up in a corner with his knees pulled up to his chest, head resting against the wall. His eyes were closed, but he was aware of the faint sound of someone making their way down the corridor outside.

He knew that they would soon reach the heavy metal door and unlock it. Then they would switch on the light and he would blink against its harshness. He knew because that was what had happened every couple of hours for the last two days. Moving from pitch black to a piercing white and then black again. That and the accompanying questions demanding to know about anything and everything, including Sugarhorse.

They kept asking, but Harry never said a word.

**OK, so I'm going to leave you with this cliffhanger for a couple of days ... but I promise there will be a resolution forthcoming very soon. **


	5. Chapter 5

**OK, I have decided to tweak this next chapter a bit from what I had already written, in response to a quite valid comment wanting to know more about what Ruth was feeling. I hope you find it adds to the story in the right way.**

Malcolm could tell that Ruth was aware Harry wasn't the only one missing from the grid, and he was dreading the inevitable. When she asked about Adam and Zaf, he was a bit hesitant, but told her as much as necessary without going into too much detail - she had enough to deal with.

Hearing about Zaf's kidnapping and torture, and Adam's post traumatic stress, erratic behaviour, and death, Ruth was lost for words. Two friends dead, and she hadn't even been able to say goodbye. If it wasn't for Adam and Zaf, they might not have saved Harry from the Cotterdam mess, and she wouldn't have found herself, albeit regretfully, living in France as a result. She sat quietly for a while as Malcolm left her to her thoughts, and to come to terms with her grief.

Some time later, when she appeared to have worked through what she had heard, Malcolm spoke again, "So Ruth, how are you? I mean really?"

Ruth glanced at him. She was still feeling overwhelmed by the emotion of returning to London and MI-5, and the memory of the last time she was here. It was suddenly very easy and necessary to talk to Malcolm about everything. He had always been a good friend.

She told him about France, and the small town on the coast where she had rented an apartment. It was such a beautiful place, but she was lonely. Her skill with languages had helped her find a job with a travel agency – being able to speak to holidaymakers in their own language made her an immediate success - but her job with MI-5 and the way she had left England did nothing to stop her from being suspicious of people.

"I could have stayed there I suppose, but it never felt like home. So I got a transfer to Switzerland, then Italy, and Spain. It didn't really make any difference. Wherever I was it felt the same. I just kept wishing I had someone to share all those places with."

"Anyone in particular?" enquired Malcolm, watching Ruth lightly blush in response, but she didn't answer his question.

"Edinburgh was a kind of compromise. It felt more like home than anywhere else."

They had not stopped working while they talked, and as time passed, the urgency of their task continued to grow. The longer they took to locate Harry, the greater the chance that he could disappear for good. Both of them knew what that meant, and Ruth in particular preferred not to think about it.

*****

Harry's imprisonment had taken a not unexpected turn for the worse. His captors had not chosen to go down the route of injecting him with drugs or subjecting him to a cacophony of noise. Instead the questioning had become brutally physical.

He still didn't say a word. Just focused his thoughts on the people and places he was determined to see again. Involuntarily, one of the first faces he could see was Ruth's. Until now he had spent most of the time consciously blocking her from his memory because there were too many conflicting emotions. The best way to deal with losing her had been to try and think about something else.

Now the only thing he could think about blocking out was the pain being hammered into his body.

*****

Malcolm and Ruth had been on the grid for a solid eighteen hours, listening into conversations, and decrypting and sifting through reams of information. Eyes out on stalks, Ruth had just about reached the point of nodding off when they found it: a message from the FSB communications base which mentioned a location in Moscow and referred to someone who could only be Harry.

Lucas red-flashed Ros and Jo, and when they were all present, they began strategising. Ros and Lucas would be on the ground in Russia with Jo as back up. Ruth and Malcolm were in no state to be traveling, and would be needed back on the grid to keep them all in contact, and alert to hostile intervention or new information about Harry.

From there, everything moved very quickly. Legends were prepared, routes and transport confirmed, and everything double checked. Once they left Thames House, Lucas, Ros and Jo each traveled separately to shake off anyone who might be following them. They would meet up at a prearranged destination when they reached Russia.

*****

In Moscow, in the hot and cramped room, Harry was now badly dehydrated and had almost passed out from exhaustion. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to cope with resisting them. His face was caked in blood, and his whole body ached from being kicked and punched over and over. He no longer had any strength, and his willpower had been drained almost to the point of non-existence.

He heard a noise from the corridor and tried to steel himself for another round. Then he realised that the sound was different, and suddenly there were gunshots reverberating past the door.

After what seemed like five minutes but was probably far less, the door was slammed open and the white light switched on. Harry blinked blindly from his spot against the wall as Lucas strode over and bent down to him, "Harry? Are you okay?"

Harry sighed with relief and struggled to speak with his dry mouth, "Just get me out of here."

"With pleasure." Lucas pulled Harry's arm around his neck, lifting him to a standing position, and supporting him towards the door. In the corridor, Ros was on guard and not far away two bodies lay crumpled on the floor.

They quickly made their way outside. Shot at as they tried to exit the building, Lucas and Ros returned fire several times, and covered by Jo who was waiting with the van, they managed to make it to the relative safety of the street.

Ten minutes later they were roaring along a Russian freeway headed for the airport.


	6. Chapter 6

**Previously: Harry was missing, Lucas discovered the postcards which Malcolm then used to locate Ruth, and the team finally found Harry who has now returned to England.**

**This chapter was the bit of the story that I wrote first, and the intention was for it to kind of mirror the last scene in 5.5. Does that make sense/work?  
**

He might be Section Head, but Harry still had to undergo a formal debriefing like anyone else. Though not before a medical checkup and being taken to see the Home Secretary.

The doctor had cleaned and dressed the gashes on Harry's forehead and lip, and placed his left index finger in a splint. Rest was all that he could recommend for the cracked ribs and the countless bruises which were rapidly changing colour.

Clearly shocked by Harry's battered appearance, the Home Secretary greeted him enthusiastically, and they spent five minutes verbally dancing around what had happened.

"Glad to have you back Harry. I hope you're not too worse for wear?"

"Thank you Home Secretary. I think I'll live to fight another day."

"I expect I'll read all about it in your report. Anything I should know before then?"

"I don't think so. Nothing out of the ordinary."

The Home Secretary was very pleased not to have lost someone of Harry's standing, but Harry knew he was more concerned that nothing he might have said would compromise either the intelligence services or Britain's relationship with Russia. Harry understood his position, and they concluded the meeting with a friendly handshake.

*****

Ruth had convinced the team not to tell Harry that she had been there. She didn't want their reunion to become a spectacle, and wanted to see his reaction to her return for herself. So by the time he reached the grid that evening, she was gone.

The rest of the team followed Harry into his office where it didn't take him long to locate five glasses and his bottle of whiskey. They stood around quietly drinking, and Harry thanked them for coming to his rescue, "I didn't doubt that if anyone could do it you could," he said, raising his glass. They all raised their own in acknowledgment.

*****

It was Malcolm who finally took Harry aside and told him he had an appointment to keep, "There's someone waiting to see you. At the Embankment, as soon as you can."

"Who?" Harry's brow rumpled questioningly, but Malcolm sent him on his way without an answer, insisting that it was important. He was fortunate that today was one day that Harry wasn't up to arguing.

*****

When he saw the familiar figure standing by the railing, the blood drained from Harry's face in shock. It returned just as quickly, as he made his way down the old stone steps.

Ruth turned as she heard his footsteps, a nervous smile escaping, "Hello Harry,"

"Hello Ruth ..." It was rare for Harry to find himself speechless, but right now he really didn't know what to say next.

"They didn't tell you it was me did they?" she asked.

He could merely shake his head. They stepped towards each other and and did the only thing that seemed natural, they hugged tightly.

*****

Several minutes passed before Harry and Ruth let go of each other and moved to sit on the nearby bench. Harry turned slightly to face Ruth, wincing in pain as he rested his arm along the back of the bench. It was cold and not exactly the ideal place to discuss the intervening years, but never the less ... at least they were the only people there.

Harry finally found his tongue, "How are you Ruth?"

"I'm fine. And you? I mean, apart from the Russian thing."

"I'll be okay. I've survived worse. And now I know that you're alright ... and here ... that helps," It was ridiculous how much adrenalin he could feel running through his body.

"I got your postcards."

Ruth laughed, "I know. That was how they found me. Lucas found them at your house and wondered why you kept a pile of postcards from a crazy woman. I never realised you were so sentimental Harry," she teased.

A slightly goofy grin appeared on Harry's face, "Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think you do. Anyway, it's just as well, otherwise we might not be here."

"Yes. You're back where you belong at Thames House, and so am I, back from the dead," she was silent for a moment, "For now at least. But I can't be the living dead forever Harry."

"I know," Harry wanted to ignore the last part of what she had said for as long as possible. There were other things occupying his mind right now.

"You know Ruth, a lot's happened since that morning, at the boat," he paused awkwardly, "Do you ever wish you could go back and ..."

Her response was immediate and decisive, "Every day," Then it was her turn to pause, and she changed the subject, "Malcolm didn't say much, but he told me about Zaf ... and Adam," tears started to roll down Ruth's face as she spoke, and she looked away towards the bridge.

Harry reached over and covered her hand with his. She gripped it tightly.

"They're not forgotten Ruth, and their deaths were not ... unremedied."

Ruth focused her eyes back on his face, her own full of questions. But Harry shook his head gently, "It's better you don't know. Just remember them as your friends. Yes?"

She nodded, still holding his hand. They sat in comfortable silence, neither feeling the need to talk, simply reveling in being together.

**Please review and let me know how you enjoyed this chapter. I've left it rather open, because I think there's a bit more of the story brewing in my head. Ruth is still the 'living dead' and I'd like to try and resolve that somehow. That's if you want to keep reading?**

**UPDATE: **

**I have decided to end _Missing_ right here. As someone said, it feels very much like the kind of ending Spooks would have, which is what I was aiming for. And thank you for your lovely reviews.  
**

**I am however writing a sequel and am about to post the first chapter. So if you want to see what happens next, please read _Returning._  
**


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